Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (Republic of Uzbekistan) is a landlocked country in Central Asia that is surrounded by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. Its common border with many country resulted in the country being called the "heart of the region." Uzbekistan's central location played a key role in its history as part of the Silk Road. Today, the country's economy depends on cotton, or "beloe zoloto" (white gold). As of 2005, the country had a population of over 26 million people increasing a rate of 3% every year. The increase in population is due mostly to the younge population with 43% younger than 16 years old and the large family size with an average of more than 6 members per family. The capital is located at Tashkent. History Located in the heart of Central Asia between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers, Uzbekistan has a long and interesting heritage. The leading cities of the famous Silk Road--Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva--are located in Uzbekistan, and many well-known conquerors passed through the land. Alexander the Great stopped near Samarkand on his way to India in 327 B.C. and married Roxanna, daughter of a local chieftain. Conquered by Muslim Arabs in the 8th century A.D., the indigenous Samanid dynasty established an empire in the 9th century. Genghis Khan and his Mongols overran its territory in 1220. In the 1300s, Timur built an empire with its capital at Samarkand. Uzbekistan's most noted tourist sites date from the Timurid dynasty. In 1865, Russia occupied Tashkent and by the end of the 19th century, Russia had conquered all of Uzbekistan. In 1924, following the establishment of Soviet power, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Uzbekistan was founded from the territories including the Khanates of Bukhara and Khiva and portions of the Ferghana Valley that had constituted the Khanate of Kokand. During the Soviet era, Moscow used Uzbekistan for its tremendous cotton growing and natural resource potential. Uzbekistan declared independence on September 1, 1991. After independence the government encouraged anti-Russian nationalist sentiment, and 80% of ethnic Russians (more than 2 million people) fled from Uzbekistan. The activities of missionaries from some Islamic countries, coupled with the absence of real opportunities to participate in public affairs, contributed to the popularization of a radical interpretation of Islam. There has been increasing violent as a result of protest against governmental corruption. In 2007, major United States news agencies were denied access to the election, which many believe to be fraudulent. Geography Uzbekistan is approximately the size of France, stretching 1,425 kilometers from west to east and 930 kilometers from north to south. Bordering Turkmenistan to the southwest, Kazakhstan to the north, and Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to the south and east, Uzbekistan is not only one of the larger Central Asian states but also the only Central Asian state to border all of the other four. Uzbekistan also shares a short border with Afghanistan to the south. The physical environment of Uzbekistan is diverse, ranging from the flat, desert topography that comprises almost 80 percent of the country's territory to mountain peaks in the east reaching about 4,500 meters above sea level. The southeastern portion of Uzbekistan is characterized by the foothills of the Tian Shan Mountains. The most fertile part of Uzbekistan, the Fergana Valley, is an area of about 21,440 square kilometers directly east of the Qizilqum and surrounded by mountain ranges to the north, south, and east. Politics Uzbekistan is officially declared as a republic. The constitution of Uzbekistan provides for separation of powers, freedom of speech, and representative government. In reality, the executive holds almost all power. The judiciary lacks independence, and the legislature, which holds a few sessions each year, has limited power to shape laws. There are human rights concerns for instances of torture and mistreatment of detainees by security forces; denial of due process and fair trial; and restrictions on religious freedom including harassment and imprisonment of religious minority group members by government officials. Economy Chief among the causes of dissension and despair in Uzbekistan is the country's economic situation. According to United Nations (UN) figures, Uzbekistan was one of the poorest of the developed countries in the world. But vast natural resources suggest the potential for Uzbekistan to become one of the most prosperous countries in Central Asia, provided the necessary reforms can be made to unleash that potential. Uzbekistan has abundant resources of gold, the fourth largest in the world, which serves an important role in the country’s economy. In addition, the country also has large deposits of copper and uranium. Cotton exports are important for the country, as many of the population are dependent on the crop for income. Culture Culture of Uzbekistan is one of the brightest and original cultures of East. It is inimitable national music, dances and painting, unique national kitchen and clothes. The Uzbek national music is characterized as variety of subjects and genres. The songs and tool plays according to their functions and forms of usage can be divided into two groups: performed in the certain time and under the certain circumstances and performed at any time. The songs connected with customs and traditions, labor processes, various ceremonies, dramatized entertainment representations and games belong to the first group. The Uzbek people is well-known for its songs. Koshuk is a household song with a small diapason melody, covering one or two rows of the poetic text. The dancing character of a melody of this genre provides their performance in support of comic dances. "Lapar" is a dialogue-song. In some areas the term lapar is applied to wedding songs. "Ulan" is performed as a dialogue of man and women. Genre "yalla" includes two kinds of songs: a melody of a narrow range and a solo simultaneously accompanied with dance. National and professional poems of the poets of East are used as the texts for the songs. Religion Islam is by far the dominant religious faith in Uzbekistan, and most are Sunnis. In the early 1990s, many of the Russians remaining in the republic (about 8 percent of the population) were Orthodox Christians. An estimated 93,000 Jews also were present. Despite its predominance, Islam is far from monolithic, however. Many versions of the faith have been practiced in Uzbekistan. The conflict of Islamic tradition with various agendas of reform or secularization throughout the twentieth century has left the outside world with a confused notion of Islamic practices in Central Asia. In Uzbekistan the end of Soviet power did not bring an upsurge of a fundamentalist version of Islam, as many had predicted, but rather a gradual reacquaintance with the precepts of the faith. Tourism in Uzbekistan Chimgan, Tashkent Chimgan is a ski resort located in a mountain range named Tian Shan. The tourist skiing complex Chimgan is located 85 km (52.8 mi) away from Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, in the spurs of Chatkal ridge on the height of 1,600 meters (5,249 ft), in the Western Tian Shan Mountains, surrounding Tashkent from the East. Mustakillik Square, Tashkent Mustakillik Square is a beautiful, modern park highlighted with broad walkways, ponds, and fountains. A colonnade of white marble arches leads into the park where you will see many families strolling along the wide walkways. There are various statues and monuments, including a lovely stature of a mother holding her baby-a favorite theme for artists throughout the ages from around the world. Itchan Kala, Khiva Itchan Kala is the inner town (protected by brick walls some 10 m high) of the old Khiva oasis, which was the last resting-place of caravans before crossing the desert to Iran. Although few very old monuments still remain, it is a coherent and well-preserved example of the Muslim architecture of Central Asia. There are several outstanding structures such as the Djuma Mosque, the mausoleums and the madrasas and the two magnificent palaces built at the beginning of the 19th century by Alla-Kulli-Khan.